Les Ballet Afrik is a multi-cultural dance company whose mission is to champion the Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ experiences within the ballroom scene. Rooted in African, Afrobeat, House, Vogue, and Latin dance styles, Les Ballet Afrik pioneered a new movement style called “Afrikfusion” under the artistic direction of legendary Omari “Oricci” Wiles.

In their latest work, New York is Burning, Les Ballet Afrik draws inspiration from the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning and its depiction of voguing as a powerful expression in the face of racism, homophobia, and the stigma of the AIDS crisis. Commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim, New York is Burning reflects the aspirations of a diverse group of dancers in a city beset by health, racial, and financial crises. Highlighting the importance of community and connection to ancestry, Les Ballet Afrik continues to provide a space for individual expression and radical acceptance.

Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 7:30pm
Friday, September 15, 2023 at 7:30pm

Omari Wiles developed "New York Is Burning" for his company, Les Ballet Afrik, in a summer 2020 Works & Process bubble residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, a spring 2021 Works & Process bubble residency at Catskill Mountain Foundation (with support from the Mellon Foundation and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation), and a January 2022 Works & Process LaunchPAD “Process as Destination” residency at The Church, Sag Harbor in partnership with Guild Hall of East Hampton. Throughout this time, in some of New York State’s first permitted performances during the pandemic, Works & Process coproduced Les Ballet Afrik’s outdoor, filmed, and preview performances at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Lincoln Center, and the Guggenheim rotunda and the world premiere in the museum’s Peter B. Lewis Theater on November 5, 2022. The company performed previews at Jacob's Pillow, New Victory, and SummerStage and most recently was presented at The Joyce Theater.

Photo: Titus Ogilvie-Laing